Sweaters for the Reindeer
I hope all of you enjoyed the unusually warm weather we had in the month of October. Up here at the North Pole, it was really warm and I got to walk around in my Santa Shorts for an extra month or so. For a while Mrs. Claus and I were not even sure winter was ever going to happen, but it did.
Mrs. Claus was very worried that because we had so much warm weather, the reindeer might not be ready for the cold weather on Christmas Eve. So she started knitting woolen sweaters for them to keep them warm and toasty. Santa tried to tell her that they would be okay, because reindeer have special hairs that trap air to keep them warm. It is kind of like the insulation in your house or the filling in your coat. But, once Mrs. Claus has her mind set to do something, even Santa can’t stop her.
Well, if you don’t know it, my special reindeer are very particular about how they look and when she had finished the first couple of sweaters and taken them into the barn, the reindeer all ran and hid in the hay. They didn’t want any part of wearing sweaters, no matter how pretty and nice they were.
I had to get a group of the elves to stop working on toys for a couple of hours (don’t worry, they always catch up on their work) and go searching for the reindeer.
We finally rounded up Dasher and Dancer, the first two for which Mrs. Claus had made sweaters. They were nothing but trouble, running all over the barn and jumping up and down, but finally the elves got them into their sweaters.
Mrs. Claus thought they were just beautiful in their new, multi-colored sweaters, each with the their name in large block letters on the side.
At first the reindeer were probably as unhappy as Mrs. Claus was happy and then everyone, including the reindeer, started laughing. Dasher had on Dancer’s sweater and Dancer had on Dasher’s sweater. All that trouble we went through and didn’t even get the right sweater on the right reindeer. Sometimes I think the elves did it on purpose, just to be silly. It wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Well, kids, once it started getting cold and the days started getting shorter, Santa noticed that the reindeer were doing just fine, standing around in the open air and even enjoying the snow falling on them. I don’t think they will need the sweaters Mrs. Claus was knitting. In fact, she didn’t even complain when I told her they should be okay without the sweaters on Christmas Eve.
Now she is knitting something else out of the yarn she got for the reindeer sweaters. But, she won’t tell me what it is. She says it is a “surprise,” and Santa is really worried when she says that. So, if you happen to catch a glimpse of me on Christmas Eve, you might see me wearing a bright, multi-colored sweater with my name on the front. That’s if Mrs. Claus can catch me. Maybe I can hide with the reindeer so she can’t find me. But, knowing them, they will tell her where I am, especially Rudolph who uses his bright red nose to point me out when I try to hide.
So, in spite of the warm weather, sweaters and the reindeer hiding from us, everything is back on schedule. In fact, the elves have been working so hard lately that they are actually ahead of schedule. There should be plenty of toys for all of the good boys and girls.
Don’t forget: mind your manners, listen to your parents and teachers, be kind to each other and especially, be good. And, don’t forget that Santa likes to find cookies and milk and maybe something for the reindeer (they love a dog biscuit) when he comes down the chimney. Yes, Santa’s favorite cookie is still Chocolate Chip. Yum!
Love,your friend, Santa Claus